


A Proper Anniversary Gift

by R_Armchair



Category: Final Fantasy XIII Series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Anniversary, F/M, Flowers, Painting, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Length: 0-10 Minutes, Tasteless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 14:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19889335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_Armchair/pseuds/R_Armchair
Summary: Hope is rich and buys Lightning an overkill gift.





	A Proper Anniversary Gift

**Author's Note:**

> It’s time for Flowers in the magical land of Hoperai’s Summer Extravanganza!
> 
> If you rather listen, then head on down to dropbox:  
> [ Mp3 lies here](https://www.dropbox.com/s/bvtl7dqdf1nq4zz/AProperAnniversaryGift.mp3?dl=0)

The painting sat on top of the kitchen table in Snow’s house.For something so expensive, it was thrown there like dirty dishes or bills that have to be put away at some point.It had been there for a week, and each evening Serah worried she would spill ice cream, spaghetti, or some equally messy dish on it.

“Do we really have to hold this hostage until their anniversary?It’s freaking me out,” Serah said, pointing with her spoon.

“You know that he’s worried she’s going to see it.”

“It’s wrapped in packing paper, no one’s going to see it.Especially if he puts it in his gallery room.A tree in the forest, am I right?”

“Babe, you’ve been spending too much time with your kids.‘Am I right?’” he quoted her, teasingly.

* * *

Only two days had passed before Serah had had enough of the painting.She wasn’t going to be the one to blame if disaster fell upon it.So, she buckled into the front seat of her Subaru, and drove it over to Fang’s house.

Now, Fang was far more inquisitive of the object than the Villiers had been.Hope’s taste in the extravagant brought out the worst in her.She knew it was a present for Lightning, but heaven help her, she couldn’t stop herself.

“Rygdea, do you wanna make a bet about what’s in here?” she asked.

He looked at her, knowing that she had full intention of opening someone else’s present.“I’m sure she’ll send you a picture of it once she’s received it.Can’t you just wait?”

“No one said I was gonna look.We are just making a harmless bet about what he wasted a ridiculous amount of money on.”

“Promise?”

She shrugged her shoulders, which at least wasn’t a lie.

“Fine,” he said, setting down the smoke alarm and battery he was replacing.“What are the terms?”

She sauntered over and rested her elbows on the step-ladder’s fold down shelf.“If I win, you pay for dinner at that restaurant we can never get reservations at.”

“I would have paid anyway.”

“Then, you pay and you have to suck it up and call Hope to set the reservations for you.And I get to listen on speaker phone.”She smiled menacingly, knowing how asking for help was beneath him.

“And if I win?”After shoving the D batteries into the compartment, he snapped the unit shut and held it to the ceiling.“What do I get out of it?”

“I’ll do that thing you’ve been curious about.”

“Way too vague.That could refer to anything, including explaining how you entered my house through the attic without a ladder.”

“Oh, that was easy.”

“That was breaking and entering.”

“It was snowing.Too cold to wait outside until you got home.Not my fault the busses were on time, but regular traffic wasn’t.”Placing her hand on her hip, she grinned again.“But that’s not the thing I’ll do.”

“And that thing’ll be?”

“You have to wait and win.So, what’s your guess.”

Rygdea snapped the alarm onto it’s base and descended the ladder.“Probably something that shouldn’t be anywhere near you.My guess is a Monet.”

“Ooh, nice.What’s your reasoning?”

“Flowers.Because, he’s still a man.What woman doesn’t expect flowers on an anniversary and candies on Valentine’s Day?”

“I didn’t think my guess out that far.”She lifted the hinges on the ladder so she could carry it to the next room.“He’s a show off, so I thought he’d buy her a Rothko.Then he could pretend to be a fancy pants.” 

Dropping the ladder, she raced back to the living room where the painting was propped against the couch.Before Rygdea could convince her otherwise, she started shredding the brown packing paper.

“Shit,” she said, glaring at the painting.

“Rothkos are enormous.You really didn’t think that one out,” he said, patting her on the shoulder.

“It’s not a Monet.”

“But it is a flower.So I win on a technicality.”

She cocked her head.“Damn.You sure that’s a flower?”

He just laughed, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

* * *

Vanille picked up the painting that evening, since it was deemed unsafe in Fang’s possession.Even if Hope and Lightning’s anniversary was the next day.She’d even been kind enough to repackage it and then find suitable wrapping paper so that Hope didn’t have to.

The fact that it had been opened, gawked at, and rewrapped didn’t even bother him. He was relieved to be retrieving it after the round of musical chairs he had to do in his car to locate the damn painting.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s beautiful,” Vanille told Hope. “I don’t know if it’s Lightning’s taste, though.”

“That’s sounds...worrying,” he responded.He packed it into the back of his Escalade and headed home.

* * *

After a day devoted to lighthearted fun, Lightning and Hope came back to their house.Dinner had been filling and the dancing had been exhausting.

“Are you ready for your present?” he asked, leading his wife into the gallery room.

“I thought taking me out was the present?”

“When I saw this, it instantly reminded me of you.”Flipping on the lights, he pointed to a painting now showcased on a previously empty wall.“Happy anniversary, darling.”

He’d expected squeaks of joy, kisses, hugs, something.None of that happened.Lightning simply stared at the image and then silently walked toward it.

“This reminded you of me?”She pointed an accusatory finger at the painting.“How many of our friends know about this?”

“Several of them have seen it, but no one knows why I bought it.”

She took in a deep breath.“Tell me.What exactly about this, screams me?”

“The coloring.The muted pinkish-grey’s remind me of your hair.I remember when the rain would pour down on us in Pulse.Your hair would become wet, and stick to your face as we tried to run for cover.”He stroked her fringe out of her eyes.“The blacks and maroons are just like your Equilibrium Garb.Daunting, yet delicate.You weren’t just The Savior.You are my Savior.”

She approached him and lazily looped her arms around his shoulders.“Good answer.”

* * *

It was only later that night when Hope realized the secondary reason it reminded him of her.The pink petals on the painting were illuminated from within.When the gentle flicker of candle light flashed across Lightning’s hidden piercing, he became immediately self aware.Only he, Lightning, and the artist at the tattoo parlor knew of the jewelry. 

The painting was far more explicit than he’d initially thought.No wonder she had panicked at the sight of it.

Though, they kept it permanently on display.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone curious, they are looking at O’Keeffe’s ‘Black Iris III’


End file.
